Review of Murmansk icebreaker

MS Murmansk ("ледокол Мурманск") is an icebreaking vessel owned and operated by Rosmorport. Rosmorport is a Russian FSUE ("Federal State Unitary Enterprise") created in 2012 by the Russian Federation's Ministry of Transport.

Among the newest Russian icebreaker ships, Murmansk is named after a port city and administrative center of the Russia's Murmansk Oblast (region). This port is located in the extreme northwest part of the country, on Kola Bay (an inlet of Barents Sea, on the shore of Kola Peninsula) and near the Russia's borders with Finland and Norway.

The icebreaker was built for the Russian Ministry of Transport and launched at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard on March 25, 2015. Before floating the ship, she was christened by ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the ship's bow. The vessel is able to sail in temperatures down to -40°С. Murmansk belongs to the series of 3 newbuilds ordered from Vyborg Shipyard.

The purchasing of major components and basic design was provided by Vyborg, as well as 40% of the ship's hull blocks. Arctech was responsible for the construction, commissioning and outfitting of the vessel.

On December 25, 2015, the icebreaker's delivery ceremony took place at the shipbuilding yard Vyborg Shipyard PJSC. The ship acceptance act was signed by the top management of Rosmorport and Vyborg Shipyard. The icebreaker Vladivostok was also delivered there in October 2015. Within the framework of the occasion, the icebreaker hoisted the Russia Federation flag. The icebreaker's keel-laying ceremony was held at the Vyborg Shipyard exactly 3 years ago - on December 26, 2012.

Murmansk icebreaker vessel details

Project 21900 and 21900M icebreakers (aka LK-16), represents a series of 5 Russian ice-breakers. Two Project 21900 ships (Sankt Peterburg and Moskva) were built in St Petersburg (by Baltic Shipyard) and three Project 21900M ships were constructed as follows: two at Vyborg Shipyard (Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast) and one at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. The main purpose of this class icebreakers is assisting of heavy-tonnage ships, as well as towing of floating structures both in open sea and in ice.

The 21900M class double-deck ice-breakers are equipped with a helideck and feature an improved design and higher performance characteristics when compared to the 21900 class. Project 21900M has been classified by RMRS (Russian Maritime Register of Shipping) as ice class "Icebreaker6". All these ships are intended for the Baltic Sea and Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic coast.

Note: In case of poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel's current location will be impossible. You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all icebreakers and ice-breaking research ships in the "itinerary" section of our Icebreakers hub. All states and their fleets are listed there.